Scholar Houses
How we can get educated
Scholar Houses are for those who want to learn but don’t need more schooling.
Scholar Houses are for those who want to become educated by studying a lot.
At this critical time in history, what we need is not more unconsidered action but to stop and think things through. The challenges of the 21st Century are too great for uneducated minds.
Here’s the idea: a bunch of people split an AirBnb for a month and use it as a study space. That’s it.
FAQ
Why not study just anywhere? It’s hard to find a place where you can really focus and do deep work. Also, you will study more effectively in community, studying with, learning from, and teaching the other scholars in the house.
How is this different from going to school? A school is for taking classes, a Scholar House is for studying books. There are no classes in a Scholar House, just a bunch of people studying books.
What if I don’t understand the books? Then you will solicit the advice of more experienced scholars.
So there will be no lectures? Maybe. It depends what the people in the house want to do.
What if I have a job? That’s fine, you can still stay at a Scholar House and study there in your free time.
What if my job is in-person? Then you can join a Scholar House in the city your job is in, provided enough people there want to join one.
Won’t I then be paying double rent, my normal rent and the rent for the Scholar House? The Scholar House rent will be very cheap. For example, if 10 people rent a house on AirBnb for $3,500, that’s just $350 a person. But if you need financial assistance in order to attend a Scholar House, that can be arranged.
Does it have to be an AirBnb? Not necessarily. Any house that can be rented month-to-month is fine. It can also be someone opening up their house to guests.
Why a month? A month is a nice solid block of time in which you can really learn something. But feel free to experiment with other lengths.
Wherever you are, you can be part of a Scholar House. Just add your information to the Google Doc, and use it to connect with other people.
Also sign up for the mailing list to get more updates on Scholar Houses, alternative academic institutions, and the practice of scholarship:
Let’s say I see some people on this Google Doc who I want to make a Scholar House with. How do I do it? Follow these instructions:
Send them a email stating your intention to make a Scholar House with them, and schedule a meeting to discuss it. Determine that there are enough people to make a Scholar House.
Find at least 2 other people this way to chip in and make an AirBnb reservation.
Advertise advertise advertise! Find more people to fill up the AirBnb.
How do I know how to divide up the rent? Anything is fine as long as everyone agrees to it. Here are some general guidelines:
People with bigger rooms pay more. People who share rooms pay less. People who camp pay even less.
People who put down money for the AirBnb reservation pay less, because they are taking on the risk that they won’t find enough people.
People who have less funds available pay less.
Thoughts? Questions? Ideas of how to make this happen? Leave a comment below or email me at meygerjos@gmail.com.